Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh

66 reviews

miathy's review against another edition

adventurous dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

This book has amazing writing, and I often found myself having to put the book down and return to it later because of the gruesome horrors imprinted through the language. 
Horror isn't a genre I typically read, but Moshfegh's beautiful style of writing is one that I definitely enjoyed. 

However, I found myself losing interest in the second half of the book. It felt as though the development and journey of the characters fell short through their abrupt deaths.

In the end, I really was expecting more, and it felt a more forced read in the end for me.
This ultimately comes down to reading practices and the atmosphere one is looking for when they're going in for a read. I wasn't reading this to analyse or really to engage my brain at all, and saw it as more of an avenue for entertainment, and this felt like a missed opportunity. 

This book is so character focused, and the result is an array of equally complex and compelling characters, each with their own backstory and ability to alter the course of the plot. 
I think this is where I lost the direction of the story, because so much of it extends to the village of Lapovna as a whole. As the story progressed, more and more characters were introduced, developed and explained, but I wasn't able to find a connecting link outside the physical acquaintances and relationships between the characters. 

I think I definitely have to revisit this book in another time, but it seems that horror is just not something I can handle. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Domestic abuse, Rape, Child abuse, Torture, Blood, Body horror, Sexual assault, Violence, Death, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Murder, and Physical abuse

cwbillings's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I forced myself to read this in a day and I’m so glad I did. I truly love it. It’s exceptional. But this story is not one you can carry in your mind for long. It’s heavy. It’s demented. And the allegorical messages are superbly written. I’d recommend reading this if you’ve got a strong stomach.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Violence, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Murder, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Classism, Domestic abuse, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Animal death, Death, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Confinement, Gore, Sexism, and Sexual content

filesm's review against another edition

dark funny tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Wow y’all really mad at Ottessa for this one… it’s not her fault medieval people were freaks! 
I imagined Jude as Rhett from GMM and now I’m kinda scared of Rhett :,(

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Violence, Torture, Slavery, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Excrement, Gore, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, and Suicide

franniiia's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Torture, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Rape, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Death, and Excrement

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Cannibalism

botulinum's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.25

Disgusting. If I had a gun to my head and told to recommend this, I’d say pull the trigger. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Death, Incest, Murder, Sexism, Pregnancy, Rape, Blood, Body shaming, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Torture, and Violence

superciliary's review against another edition

dark reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

So grotesque it was dope

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Murder, Rape, Torture, Pedophilia, Gore, and Child abuse

Moderate: Death, Incest, Animal death, Body horror, Animal cruelty, and Cannibalism

toujours753's review against another edition

dark reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Abortion, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Chronic illness, Violence, Abandonment, Body shaming, Torture, Vomit, Gaslighting, Excrement, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Religious bigotry, Rape, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Murder, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Infidelity, Infertility, Incest, Grief, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Sexism, and Stalking

veerau's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

How gross! (positive) 

TW for pretty much everything in existence, perhaps even more

Glad I read it, now my eyes can be glad nothing I'll ever read from this point on will be as disgusting 😃👍

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Cannibalism, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Blood, Child abuse, Rape, Abortion, Child death, Self harm, Torture, Violence, and Vomit

Moderate: Slavery, Classism, Death, Pregnancy, Animal death, Excrement, Grief, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Religious bigotry

carolines's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Death of parent, Grief, Incest, Sexism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Animal death, Blood, Abandonment, Child death, Classism, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse

theraindiary's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Torture, Abandonment, Abortion, Animal cruelty, Gore, Murder, Religious bigotry, Violence, Child abuse, Death, Pregnancy, Rape, Body shaming, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Incest, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Cannibalism, Excrement, Pedophilia, Domestic abuse, and Vomit